Deep Burn

A classic Boston band known for its mighty reggae

T

he beautiful thing about reggae music is its resilience: It burns well in all settings, thanks to its older cousins ska and rocksteady, rhythmic slinkies that match up blazing speed with relaxed breaks. Spiritual Rez is a party band, not just a reggae band. It boasts funk-friendly numbers that slam and stammer with a dance-y underbelly, much like the classic cosmic family of Funkadelic, the original party starters. In fact, former P-Funk keys master and Talking Heads contributor Bernie Worrell is known to join Spiritual Rez on stage every so often. But the six-deep attack always knows when to drop into a relenting dub-laden stroll, calling up the old favorites—Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Sly and Robbie, and Marley’s darker cuts. The local music community looks up to the guys in Rez for a reason: They work hard and play even harder, all while finding ways to keep it fresh for the loyal fans and new ears alike. Reggae may be the backbone, but Spiritual Rez spreads it around with ease. Wallace